What is…
Gibeah

This is an ancient Israelite hill or hill-town of the Tribe of Benjamin (1 Samuel 13:15), better known as “Gibeah of Saul” (11:4; Isaiah 10:29).

It was here that a terrible outrage was committed on the Levite’s concubine which led to the almost utter extirpation of the Tribe of Benjamin (Judges 19; Judges 20), only 600 men surviving after a succession of disastrous battles.

King Saul

Gibeah is the birthplace of King Saul, and continued to be his residence after he became king (1 Samuel 10:26; 11:4; 15:34).

Sanctuary city

It was among the ancient sanctuaries of Israel (1 Samuel 10:26; 15:34; 23:19; 26:1; 2 Samuel 21:6-10), and hence it is called “Gibeah of God” (1 Samuel 10:5, Revised King James Version marginal note). It has been identified with the modern Tell el-Ful (i.e., “hill of the bean”), about 3 miles north of Jerusalem.

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